These Groucho glasses are a funny look you can wear on April Fools’ Day. Image: Mykl Roventine / CC, Flickr

Many countries celebrate April Fools’ Day on April 1. Sometimes the day is called All Fools’ Day.

On this day people play harmless tricks or pranks. The tricks can be played on friends, family, or coworkers. Often newspapers, TV stations and websites play tricks.

No one knows the exact date of the first April Fools’ Day. Most believe it started at least 500 years ago.

Some famous pranks:
In 1957, the BBC reported that Switzerland had a spaghetti harvest that year because of good weather and fewer “spaghetti weevils.” They even showed fake video of peasants picking strands of pasta from trees! Watch the fake news footage here.

In 1996, the restaurant Taco Bell advertised it had purchased a US national treasure—the Liberty Bell—and would rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. This upset many people until they realized it was a hoax! See a photo of the advertisement here.

Do your own pranks!
Remember to keep the jokes fun and harmless. Many city councils have legislated April Fools’ Day only be celebrated until noon.